Tobacco sales calculator



June 12, 1951 c, TAYLQR 2,556,949

TOBACCO SALES CALCULATOR Filed Dec. 12, 1947 INVEN C R. TAYL ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1 9 51 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOBACCO SALES CALCULATOR Charles R. Taylor, Lumberton, N. 0.

Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,280

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to business transactions and more particularly to a rapid calculator for speedily determining problems in multiplication, such as for example, the amount realized from a quantity of tobacco of a certain weight and at a certain price per pound.

In the sale of tobacco on the auction floor tobacco is placed in spaced piles and is auctioned one pile after another with only a few seconds spent in the auctioning of each. It is therefore desirable to almost instantly calculate the sum realized from each sale in order that the farmer or seller may know what he has received for his product so that he can be paid for the same and in order that the business of the Warehouse may be conducted and the transactions completed expeditiously and with dispatch.

Many of the calculations on the floor of a warehouse during an auction sale are by the mental processes of experienced persons or else the figures as to quantity and price are taken to the ohice and determined with the aid of calculating equipment, ordinarily of bulky and cumbersome character. Consequently errors and delays are highly probable and when they occur frequently produce unfavorable reactions or unpleasantness. Further the greater the pressure and the less time available, the greater the ratio of error.

Calculating machines are ordinarily large, heavy, expensive, and diflicult to move, while experienced clerks capable of rapid calculation demand high salaries and are subject to human ills which make it desirable to have mechanical means by which the calculation can be accomplished.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a calculator of simple, inexpensive and light weight construction capable of being used at the time of an auction sale as the auctioneer walks along a row and sells one pile of tobacco after another as rapidly as 400 of such piles per hour and by means of which the sum brought by each pile of tobacco in the row can be readily determined and the transaction completed except for the actual payment to the farmer or seller for his product.

A further object of the invention is to provide a calculator which can be easily carried with the weighted portion in the lowermost position when not in use and which can be readily placed in a position of use and supported in a manner to leave the hands of the individual substantially free so that in addition to the calculation that is made a support is provided for writing, such as for example in making out the bill of sale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a calculator of a type which can be adapted for use in the calculation of. fertilizer, peanuts, and other commodities on the farm, livestock auctions, in the measuring of lumber, in the garment industry, in the preparation of payrolls, and in numerous other uses, with accuracy, speed, and at low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a top plan view of the base of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a top plan view of the calculating sheets, the indicia thereon, and the specific arrangement on the sheet;

Fig. l, a fragmentary detail of a connection for a supporting strap; and

Fig. 5, a fragmentary detail illustrating one of the binder members and its method of attachment.

With continued reference to the drawings, the invention comprises a base or support it] on which are mounted calculating sheets or tables I! held in place by semi-circular U-shaped retainers l2. The device is constructed in a manner for most convenient use and consequently is readily portable, of light weight, of the greatest simplicity, and utmost practicability in order to invite its use and portray its value and an appreciation of its desirability.

The base l0 may be of any desired material, preferably of light weight, and of suiiicient strength and durability to perform its supporting action. It may be of wood, such as plywood, metal, such as aluminum or magnesium, plastic, or of other substance. The base is preferably provided at its lower end with a curved surface 53 to more comfortably conform to the contour of the body of the user. The base or support It? is also provided with sets of openings M, of which three are shown, although any desired number may be employed. These openings l4 receive the threaded extremities iii of the retainers l2, being secured in position with abutments i6 on the retainers secured firmly against the top surface of the support by means of nuts ll, or other fastening means capable of being easily applied and removed.

In order to support the base to permit the hands to be substantially free, L-shaped brackets 58 are attached by screws or other fastening means it to the upper corners of the base, and in the looped ends 20 are secured or mounted rings 2| for engagement by snap hooks 22 on the ends of a supporting strap 23 for engagement behind the collar or neck of the operator.

The calculator cards or sheets i! on the retainers [2 are on the left half of the base or support, and for simplicity of transporting the device with the weighted portions in lowermost position, a hand slot 24 is provided centrally of the base., The slot 24 also serves a useful purpose when the board is in use, permitting the fingers of the left hand to be inserted in steadying the board and the forefinger and thumb used for holding invoices which are to be written.

This invention is intended primarily for use in determining the sum of a number of items of certain specifications. Although it may be appropriately used in calculating fertilizer, eanuts and for measuring lumber, preparation of payrolls and the like, it is primarily intended for determining the sum or total price from the sales of tobacco. Tobacco is placed in rows of spaced piles ranging ordinarily from 50 to 250 lbs. along the floor of an auction warehouse and is sold at auction at a very rapid rate at a price ordinarily somewhere between one cent and one dollar per pound and the invention is intended to enable rapid calculation of the price of each pile of tobacco sold, although the sales are made at the rate of approximately 400 per hour. The tobacco is brought to the warehouse by the farmer or seller and the warehouse, in the conduct of its business, sells the tobacco, pays the farmer, and has the tobacco moved from the warehouse floor with as little loss of time as possible receiving for the service rendered a commission from the sales.

It is therefore essential that settlement for the tobacco sold be made promptly so that the business may be expeditiously and efficiently operated with as little confusion as possible. In View of the fact that the auctioneer is constantly on the move during the sale and crowds are assembled delay is experienced when information relative to a sale is sent to an omce where calculations can be made, and accordingly high speed calculators have been employed to travel along with the auctioneer and compute prices. However, this is expensive and the present device is designed to materially reduce this expense.

The device of the present invention is intended to be used by an unskilled person in the necessary calculation relative to each individual sale and for this purpose certain structure is employed. The base Ill along the longitudinal central portion thereof is provided with a scale 25 having graduated markings from 1 to 100 corresponding to the price of from one cent to one dollar per pound of tobacco sold.

The cards or sheets H are provided with apertures 2T spaced longitudinally along the central portion of the card and in which aperture the retainers [2 are adapted to be loosely received. As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, the cards thus positioned on the retainers It may be easily turned over from left to right or vice versa, thus rendering either side easily visible. Each of the cards II is preferably divided along its center by a longitudinal strip 28 of contrasting color and there is also a dividing strip 29 of contrasting color extending laterally or transversely of the cards and base on which they are supported.

Each card includes on its surface columns 39, 3|, 32 and 33, columns 38 and 3,. carrying numbers indicating the Weight of the tobacco or other material in 2 pound increments covering weights from to 250 pounds. Columns 3| and 33 carry the sum for each weight indicated in columns 30 and 32 at the price per pound designated on the transverse strip 29, each card therefore carries the. total price at two different unit prices. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the prices are 10 and 10%,c per pound, and for a pile of 240 pounds of tobacco at 10 a pound the total price is $24, while if the price is 10 the price is $24.60.

In order to facilitate speed in locating the desired weight or poundage the longitudinal dividing strip 28 may be provided at intervals with numbers indicating at a glance the approximate relative position in columns 38 and 32 at which the desired weight may be found. For example, if it is desired to ascertain the price of 156 lbs. of tobacco at 10 cents a pound, it is only necessary to glance at the number 150 in the dividing strip 28 and let the sight travel down to the number 156 in column 38 to find that the price thereof was $15.60.

Each card I I is also provided with a protruding index tab 34 carrying the unit price corresponding to that of the corresponding card and which will enable the operator to select at a glance the card desired to compute the sum realized from a particular sale.

As will be observed from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 2, the scale 25 is located longitudinally of the mid portion of the base l0 beside the cards H. From a mere glance at this scale the desired position on the cards can be readily ascertained and the index tab at that position manipulated to expose the desired data.

For'convenience in facilitating quick turning of the cards from left to right, the left edge of the base is provided with a notch 31 for accommodating the finger of an operator. Through the opening provided by this notch or slot the operator by a flip of the finger may turn over the cards from that side of the retainers to the other side or in other words may change the number of cards so that they are stacked as desired on the base to expose the desired data.

The right hand half of the base formsa convenient support for writing, and invoices may be placed thereon to receive the data from the calculator. As shown in Fig. 1, retainers or binders 35 may be secured to the base and serve to loosely attach a sheaf of invoices adapted to receive the amounts of the sales as obtained from the cards at the left of the same.

From the foregoing it Will be apparent that the device of the present invention can be used in determining calculations not only with tobacco, but with various commodities and business operations and at a very substantial saving of time and efiort. While the illustrated embodiment described is appropriate for use in connection with the sale of tobacco or other co l-- modities at public auction, wherein it is necessary that calculations be rapidly made and the results recorded, any desired variations can be made in accordance with the needs of a particular situation or use. t will also be understood that the invention may be employed not only in computing money values, but wherever rapid multiplication is desirable.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A tobacco sales calculator comprising a thin, flat, horizontally disposed supporting base having one end provided with a concave outline engageable with the body of a person, a first L-shaped bracket positioned with one leg adjacent the other end of said base below and in engagement with the lower surface of said base, substantially projecting outward from one edge of said base secured to said base, the other leg of said first L-shaped bracket projecting above said base, a second L-shaped bracket positioned with one leg adjacent the other end of the said base below and in engagement with the lower surface of said base and substantially projecting outwardly from the other edge of said base and secured to said base, the other leg of said second L-shaped bracket projecting abovesaid base, a plurality of paralleled, spaced, aligned, inverted U-shaped retainers positioned on said base and each extending transversely of said one edge and spaced inwardly from said one edge secured to said base, a plurality of super-imposed cards having index tabs projecting from one edge thereof positioned on said base with said one edge of said cards adjacent said one edge of said base, the other edge of said cards extending into and substantially midway of said inverted, U-shaped retainer, said cards being provided with aligned apertures intermediate the edges thereof, slidably surrounding the respective, inverted, U-shaped retainers, said cards eing of a Width substantially equal to the spacing of the legs of said inverted U-shaped retainers whereby said cards may be pivoted about their other edges to lie in an inverted position spaced from said one edge of said base, each of said cards having a plurality of columns of indicia corresponding to the weight of tobacco and to the total price for the weight indicated, a strap having its ends connected to the free ends of said other legs of said L-shaped brackets for supporting the other end of said calculator from the neck of a person, said base being provided with a slot centrally thereof for admitting the fingers of a hand of a person for steadying the calculator in use.

CHARLES R. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 302,933 Peckam et al Aug. 5, 1884 346,547 Holt Aug. 3, 1886 357,663 Greenlee Feb. 15, 1887 492,316 White Feb. 21, 1893 498,503 Blanchard May 30, 1893 1,317,423 Bottle Sept. 30, 191-9 

